


Courage is Grace Under Pressure

by Death_By_An_Angel



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:53:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23831152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Death_By_An_Angel/pseuds/Death_By_An_Angel
Summary: Jess arrives with his bruises still healing, but will some one be able to help him heal or will he go it alone and be worse off then before?
Relationships: Luke Danes & Jess Mariano, Luke Danes & Lorelai Gilmore, Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano
Comments: 9
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The Title is a quote from Ernest Hemingway, I thought it appropriate as Jess practically worships the guy

Jess stared out the window of the bus he was riding. The vibrant landscape flying by without him really taking any of it in at all. He was headed to Stars Hollow, a place he only had vague memories of. He hazily remembered visiting his Uncle Luke there during the summers when he was young but that was only ever when Liz needed money.

He supposed he should be thankful, that he was leaving, getting away from Liz’s boyfriend who was a violent drunk, but he wasn’t. Liz didn’t do this to get him away from the drunken beatings but so he would stop ruining her life with the deadbeat. She had told him as much when she threw the bag at him and informed him, he was leaving. _You’re a waste of space, you good for nothing brat_ echoed painfully in his ears as he remembered the night, she had told him to leave.

Shifting, he grimaced as the skin on his torso pulled. A parting gift from Steven last night. He was beaten to a pulp, but it wasn’t visible. Steven was always careful not to hit him anywhere visible to other people. He had gotten especially violent last night and smashed an empty bottle against Jess’ ribs causing a deep cut and a collection of smaller ones all spanning his left side.

Jess rested his head against the back of the seat and closed his eyes, it was no use remembering what had already happened, he just needed to get to 18 an then he could b on his own, away from Liz and her endless string of boyfriends, away from the family that had rejected him, because as far as he could tell Luke was the only one who had made anything of himself. As the thoughts swam through Jess’ mind he drifted off into the land of dreams, or in his case, a fitful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Luke was waiting awkwardly at the bus step for Jess. He looked rather nervous and completely unprepared for his nephew to come live with him after they hadn’t seen each other since Jess was 6.  
“how was the trip?” Luke asked curiously  
“fine came the monosyllable answer that Luke really should’ve expected.  
He continued to try and make small talk as they walked towards the diner. As soon as they entered the small office come apartment Jess just knew that his uncle was completely unprepared for his arrival. It was typical of his mother to not inform someone that they would suddenly be acquiring a kid well in advance, she had probably called Luke with two days’ notice at most.  
As Jess meandered his way through town it finally hit him that he would no longer have to sleep on the street for a night or two, he wouldn’t have to look over his shoulder every time he came home and most importantly he wouldn’t have to deal with the constant angry and violent beating he did in New York. He was free.  
As Jess sat down in a secluded spot behind the school, he did something he hadn’t done since he was 7, he cried. He cried for relief and freedom. He cried for his childhood lost to violence and anger. He cried for his past, tiled with despair and coldness. He cried until he had no more tears left to cry and the knot in his chest finally dispelled its constricting hold on his heart. He let go and grieved, the lost of something he never knew.


End file.
